Aztecs WR Brown to return for senior season

Standout receiver Vincent Brown has decided to return for his senior season at San Diego State after spending the past several weeks considering an early departure for the NFL Draft.

The deadline for juniors and third-year sophomores to declare for the draft was Friday. His father, Vincent Brown Sr., said his son made up his mind in the past few days.

“We discussed certain issues in references to his decision, and he made the decision to go back to San Diego State,” Brown Sr. said.

Brown Jr. and SDSU asked for a report late last year from the NFL Advisory Committee, which helps grade juniors interested in declaring for the draft. The committee projected him to be selected after the first three rounds.

“He took a look at that piece of it for his family, but I also think he looked at it as wanting to finish his career at San Diego and wanting to help this team win a championship,” SDSU head coach Brady Hoke said.

Brown, 20, missed the last five games of the season after injuring his thumb in a 42-28 win at Colorado State Oct. 24. Before the injury, he ranked among the nation’s leading receivers with 111.1 yards per game. Despite missing nearly half the season, he still finished second on the team in catches (45), receiving yards (778) and touchdown receptions (six).

If Brown had left SDSU early, the Aztecs would have had to face the prospect of losing their three top receivers from last season. SDSU’s leading receiver last year, DeMarco Sampson, is seeking a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA and has not yet heard back on a decision, according to SDSU. Hoke said the NCAA requested additional paperwork on Sampson’s case. The return of Brown and Sampson would give the SDSU offense a significant lift after finishing last year 4-8, including a 1-4 record in games without Brown.

Brown is expected to fully recover after thumb surgery and return as one of the top receivers in the nation next year. Brown couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.

“He wants to get his education, which is the main reason he is there,” Brown Sr. said.